Looking for Fast Companies

It’s not often you hear about a regional investor eager to spend money, but Mentor’s Growth Strategies Founder David J. Hazard has more faith in Northeast Ohio than most. So, he’s giving the area’s economy a little boost.

“I want to encourage and support industrial startup companies that have the potential to help revitalize the Northeast Ohio economy,” Hazard says. “I plan to do this by providing early-stage investment.”

Hazard, a former human resources leader at Rockwell International and Avery Dennison, is looking for Northeast Ohio companies positioned for fast growth and a quick return.

“Companies that will get our attention are industrial firms with a unique, proprietary product or concept, plus potential to be profitable in three to five years,” says Hazard, who has 30 years experience in helping small-business startups.

As Growth Strategies begins a search for a venture, the company looks for firms with a strategic and creative business plan, he says.
“Businesses we would be interested in working with will have a compelling value proposition – one that customers cannot be without,” Hazard says. “The product will serve a viable niche in a large, growing market segment where the barrier to entry is significant.”

Those with the best ideas will receive an invitation to discuss plans further with an evaluation team, Hazard says. A team from Growth Strategies will then examine each opportunity to determine where investment will provide a return for them, the novice company and Northeast Ohio.